► A long-range road trip from London to Paris
► Long range, lots of space, smart tech
► WATCH THE VIDEO at the article’s end
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The setting sun’s orange light sears between the low, flecked white clouds, casting a warm glow across the Renault Scenic E-Tech. Six hours into our journey, we’ve swapped the Essex coast for Pas-de-Calais’s, but my daughters display no impatience, no longing for their hotel beds.
Standing on a grassy bank, 11-year-old Gabriella takes selfies, capturing vivid green fields and the glistening blue Strait of Dover, where two huge car ferries steam towards Calais to unload the next batch of half-term holidaymakers. Meanwhile Florence, eight, and I scour the visitor plaque at Cap Blanc-Nez, atop white cliffs sheared from Dover’s half a million years ago.
Like the stratified cliffs, the Scenic E-Tech’s design is peppered with layers and textures. Scores of body-coloured diamond shapes make the front grille shimmer as they catch the light. Lines etched in a diamond motif ripple across the aerodynamic inserts in the 20-inch alloy wheels, then fade to nothing: it’s a mesmerising effect. Along with the chrome blades on the sides, these details make the Scenic E-Tech stand out from every angle.
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Renault Scenic: 2024 European Car of the Year
The Scenic, famous for inventing the compact MPV in Europe, has been reborn as a low-slung but spacious SUV propelled by a fully electric powertrain. Almost everything has changed bar two important values: to try to keep people on board safe (it has a five-star Euro NCAP rating for starters*) and to make them comfortable. The original Scenic and its 2024 iteration share one other thing: both won the prestigious Car of the Year award, voted for by a panel of European motoring journalists including me.
We get back in to continue the trip: the D940 snaking up the cliffside looks too inviting to resist. The front-mounted motor hums winningly as the Scenic surges up to speed, and the corners come thick and fast: a quick right then sharp left combine with the steep downhill gradient to give a real taste of the SUV’s agility. To our right is a majestic view, with the interlocking cliffs creating a V-shaped gap filled with sea to the horizon, while towering beside us stands the obelisk dedicated to the Dover Patrol that battled U-boats in World War 1.
This topography serves up a string of long sweeping bends down into Escalles. The Scenic has a really quick steering rack, and as I dip my wrists this way or that the nose responds, swinging obediently onto the cornering line. The offside wheels brace the car formidably and the body rolls gently on its pillowy suspension, and we carve effortlessly down the hill and into the village.
Visit Renault.co.uk to learn more
Soon we’ll be on the A16, homing in on the Abbeville hotel that’s now just an hour away. Tomorrow we’ll explore the Normandy coast then set the navigation for our final destination, Paris.
Renault Scenic: up to 379 miles of range
In recent times, electric road trips have started with a planning session identifying where to stop to recharge the battery. Not so much with this Scenic E-Tech 100% electric: it’s a long-range model, equipped with a big, 87kWh battery. With our car’s iconic specification it’s certified with up to 369 miles of range on the WLTP test cycle (or 379 miles for the long-range techno version)** – more than enough to get from Southend-on-Sea to Abbeville without a charge.
After stowing the charging cable, we pile in two carry-on suitcases, three rucksacks, pillows, picnic blanket, frisbee – everything we need for a beach-hopping road trip. And plenty we probably don’t. Maximum boot capacity behind the rear seats is 545 litres.
The cabin is equally user-friendly. Approach the locked Scenic and the flush door handles automatically swing outwards for easy access. As do device-holding arms that rotate from the ingenious rear armrest: my delighted daughters slide in the iPad, stow the Nintendo Switch and reusable water bottles in its perfectly conceived cubbies and settle back to enjoy their rear-seat cinema.
New Renault Scenic: with Google built in
And so we set off along Southend’s seafront, more shingle than sand, the choppy waves a green hue. The girls, watching a buddy movie about a prom-bound student and a tech-phobic cop, joke that I’m a Luddite too. I’ll show them. ‘Hey Google, play Billy Bragg’s A13, Trunk Road to the Sea,’ I command. The openR link multimedia system leaps into action, with the natural-sounding voice reiterating my instruction and triggering Spotify to play the one-time Bard of Barking’s Essex-themed ode to the rock ’n’ roll classic Route 66.
I crank up the volume using the stereo control pod branching off the steering wheel and the kids vehemently protest. ‘Dad, what’s that?’ ‘Turn it off, it’s hurting my ears!’ wails Flo. I relent and let them get back to their tech-sceptic protagonist, who would find the new Scenic an effortless gateway into good gadgetry.
It was an inspired decision to underpin new Renaults with Google***, including Google Maps and up to 50 apps from its Play store. Plenty of automotive voice control systems are flummoxed by a simple UK postcode, or robotically instruct you to click a touchscreen line to finalise your command. But conversing with the Scenic feels natural; Renault has developed one of the best interfaces in the business.
See the tech in action: WATCH THE VIDEO at the bottom of this article
And the kids absolutely love it. ‘I’m too warm,’ instructs Gabriella, prompting openR Link to drop the temperature by 2 ̊C. ‘Play Taylor Swift,’ urges Florence, and Billy Bragg is demoted on the ‘recently played’ list. Hmm. I could end up wishing it was a bit less smart.
How’s the new Scenic feel on a motorway?
As we cruise on the M20 towards the Chunnel, there’s a gentle rush of air around the Scenic’s side mirrors and a faint murmur from the Michelin e.Primacy tyres. This SUV is blessed with ride comfort tailor-made for road trips. At motorway speeds its relaxed suspension really comes to the fore, the softly sprung body taking big hits in its stride then settling back down.
There are four driving modes, selected by a steering-wheel button that would look at home on a performance car, triggering different digital displays and lighting shades. Green-tinged Eco curbs accelerator inputs and optimises the car for efficiency, red Sport delivers the sharpest throttle response and maximum performance (peak power is 217bhp, peak torque 221lb ft).
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We’re in the regular drive mode – Comfort – with handsome blue digital driver’s dials calculating we’re averaging 3.4 per miles per kWh: that’s commendably efficient for an electric car pounding the motorway at 70mph. This economy stems from the Scenic’s aerodynamic finesse, a much lighter weight than its peers and an efficient motor.
Perso mode lets you mix and match different steering, powertrain and pedal calibrations, and channel your inner Goldilocks to select just the right combination of safety features. The Scenic E-Tech has up to 30 advanced driver and safety systems****, including blind-spot warning, lane-keeping assist, stop-and-go cruise control and emergency braking intervention. If you don’t like speed limit warning bongs or automatic steering inputs, you can turn them off.
Visit Renault.co.uk to learn more
Day two begins with an ultra-rapid public charge
The morning of day two breaks grey and drizzly: time to charge up. Clever Google Maps constantly assesses charging options based on your destination and efficiency, and when I select Ionity Baie de Somme just off the A16 it starts preconditioning the batteries for a quicker stop.
The Scenic can draw up to 150 kilowatts on a DC ultra-rapid public charger, enabling drivers to charge from 15 to 80 per cent in just 37 minutes*****. I plug in, activate the charge with a swish of my bank card, tap Relax mode for a languid seating position with massaging and contemplate the new Scenic.
It measures under 4.5 metres long but packs plenty of space into this compact footprint. The engineers have pushed the wheels to the corners, which makes room for a big battery pack and a spacious cabin. The flat floor means a third rear passenger could get comfy, though Gabriella and Florence would have to stop sprawling like contented rock stars in the back of a limo. There’s plenty of room in the rear for adults too – I have a generous six inches of legroom and headroom when I sit there.
What’s the new Scenic’s cabin like?
And the immaculately built cabin is genuinely knockout, with beauty far beneath the spectacular 24-inch bank of screens. This Scenic’s luxurious iconic spec includes beautiful wood trim wrapping around the prow, an airy feel boosted by the Solarbay glass roof and the dashboard upholstered in dappled grey textiles. We’re spending hour upon hour in the seats but they’re as light on the body as floating in a hammock, and their dimpled texture feels delightful.
Best of all, the iconic’s seat upholstery is 87 per cent recycled***** and there’s no leather whatsoever. That’s because the Scenic has been designed with sustainability at the fore: recycled plastics, aluminium and glass are used in some components, and the whole car has been designed to be 89 per cent recyclable at the end of life – including the battery******.
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In just over an hour, the Scenic is charged from 12 to 100 per cent and we head for Mesnil Val Plage, a stunning secluded beach surrounded by towering limestone cliffs, and a kindred spirit to Southend with its stony shoreline. There’s time to explore the rockpools, play frisbee and cartwheel across the sand (the girls, not me) before the tide comes in and we head to Caen.
How do the new Scenic’s controls respond?
The Scenic’s accelerator has a tactile feel, as addictively squidgy as a stress ball but for your right foot. And the brake pedal responds sharply before progressively building to a bitingly hard stop.
Tailoring the regenerative braking force using the wheel-mounted paddles – left for more, right for less – boosts my driving engagement, especially on twisty roads. Similar to dropping down the gears in a good petrol hot hatch, click up a couple of notches for maximum deceleration as you enter a corner, which throws the weight forwards to boost grip while the kinetic energy is captured to boost the battery. On the motorway I use the opposite end of the spectrum, minimising braking to maintain precious momentum.
With a big sporting event on in town, Caen is gridlocked. We glide in nose-to-tail traffic, serenaded by the warm chords of electronic composer Jean-Michel Jarre warning passers-by of our stealthy approach. Then we join the Calvados region’s residents for a festival, in the shadow of the imposing Abbaye aux Hommes, the final resting place of its originator William the Conqueror. And while we slumber, the Scenic gently replenishes 61kWh on the hotel’s charger.
Visit Renault.co.uk to learn more
Day three: the new Scenic in Paris
‘Hey Google, set navigation for the Eiffel Tower.’ And within a few hours we’re passing La Defense’s towering office block sentries and streaming through tunnels, the kids glued to the windows for their very first views of the city of light.
We converge on Paris’s answer to the Large Hadron Collider, the Arc de Triomphe. If there’s a more chaotic roundabout in Europe, I’m yet to drive it. But the Scenic shines in city traffic, the direct steering jinking it into fleeting gaps and avoiding strafing cars with an accelerator lift provoking max regen braking. Then when the traffic lurches forward, the motor provides instant punch to hold position.
We head for the Seine – and Gabriella and Florence’s first close-up of the symbol of Paris.
A Scenic highlight: voice-controlled Solarbay glass roof
‘Hey Google, open Solarbay!’ I implore. An animated wave washes across the huge glass panel, with an electric current displacing the polymer-dispersed liquid crystal molecules to turn it from opaque to transparent. As Gustave Eiffel’s engineering feat looms over us, an enthralled Florence asks Google for its height – more than 300 metres tall. This is technology at its best: captivating but effortless.
Win a luxury weekend in Paris – courtesy of Renault!
Verdict: Renault Scenic E-Tech 100% electric iconic
Many car makers are striving to reposition themselves as tech companies but the Scenic shows Renault is leading Europe’s mainstream players in this area, in my view. My daughters love to command it, feel pampered by its child-friendly rear seats and believe Renault’s commitment to sustainability and electrification should be the norm, to protect the planet for their generation and beyond.
And me? This 521-mile drive has rubber-stamped my belief that the Car of the Year jury made a good choice in 2024. A lot of gold medals are going to be handed out in Paris this summer. But the Renault Scenic E-Tech 100% electric got the first – and rightly so.
Visit Renault.co.uk to learn more
Facts & figures: Renault Scenic E-Tech 100% Electric Iconic
What’s the line-up?
The entry-level Scenic techno comes with a smaller 60kWh battery and 168bhp motor at an eye-catching £37,495******* price. Its WLTP range is 260 miles** and standard equipment includes the Google-based infotainment, rear armrest, rear-view parking camera, 19-inch alloys and the full safety suite.
The long-range techno equivalent (87kWh battery, 217bhp motor, 379-mile range**) is £40,995. Two flagship versions on 20-inch wheels and optional two-tone paint complete the range – the sporty, dechromed esprit Alpine version (£43,495) and our luxurious iconic (£45,495) with its Solarbay roof, driver’s massage seat and Harman Kardon premium audio.
Data
Price: £45,495 (Scenic E-Tech iconic)
Powertrain: 87kWh battery, single electric motor, front-wheel drive
Performance: 217bhp power, 221lb ft torque, 7.9sec 0-62mph acceleration, 105mph top speed
Efficiency: 3.7 miles per kWh, 369-mile range, 0g/km CO2
Weight: 1860kg
Length/width/height (mirrors folded): 4470/1864/1589mm
Boot capacity: 545/1670 litres
* Based on 5* Euro NCAP score. Visit www.euroncap.com for more information
** WLTP figures shown are for comparability purposes. Actual real world driving results may vary depending on factors including the starting charge of the battery, accessories fitted after registration, weather conditions, driving styles and vehicle load.
*** Google, Google Maps and other related marks are trademarks of Google LLC
**** Always follow road safety regulations. It is your responsibility to stay alert, drive safely and be in control of the vehicle at all times. You should not solely rely on driver convenience and assistance features. Some features may not work in all conditions and circumstances, and they have speed and other limitations.
***** Charging time may vary depending on charging conditions and charger type.
****** Upholstery 87% recycled on iconic, 99% on esprit Alpine, 100% on techno. Front of seat and headrest fabric made from recycled seatbelts and PET bottles, excludes back of seat, headrest and armrest.
******* Vehicle Family Type homologated in accordance with European directive 2005/64/CE (type-approval of motor vehicles with regard to ensuring that at the end of a vehicle’s life, its component parts and materials can either be reused or recycled or recovered) and as certified by UTAC and certified 89.72% recyclable by CNRV.
******** Price quoted is Manufacturer’s Recommended Retail Price. Participating retailers only. T&Cs apply.